If you find yourself with a spare day or two and you’re happy to travel 25 miles, check out Cheboksary. This popular place offers up plenty to keep you busy. See the best sights beginning with Monument of Mother, Chuvash National Museum and Museum of V.I. Chapaev. Locals are also likely to point you in the direction of Yoshkar-Ola, 60 miles away. If you only see one attraction here, let it be Museum of the History of the Gulag. (But we’re also big fans of Sapaev Mari State Opera and Ballet Theatre and Mari El National Shketan Drama Theater.)